After the 2022 season, the Baltimore Ravens traded for former offensive coordinator Greg Roman in favor of Todd Monken in an effort to assist star quarterback Lamar Jackson in reaching the next phase of his growth.
In the end, Jackson won his second career MVP award under Monken, but it appears the Ravens believe that performance was only a sneak peek at what the 27-year-old has in store.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated on Wednesday, “[Jackson] spent a considerable amount of time with his offensive coaches this offseason fitting the offense to what he’s most comfortable with, and it’s been apparent in how he’s played this summer.” “That’s also allowed him to become more of a field general out there with his teammates, and you can see it in his command and ability to adjust at the line of scrimmage.”
With a 64.7 adjusted QBR and 24 passing touchdowns, Jackson tied for 11th place in the NFL at the end of the 2023 regular season, according to Pro Football Reference. He led the Ravens to a 13-4 record and the top seed in the AFC. He led all quarterbacks in rushing yards (821), and he also scored five touchdowns on the ground, according to StatMuse.
All that said, questions about whether Jackson was pushed to do too much as Baltimore’s leading offensive playmaker lingered before and after the team’s 17-10 AFC Championship Game defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. The signal-caller’s record in six career postseason starts fell to 2-4 after that defeat. Derrick Henry, a former Tennessee Titans running back, was acquired by the Ravens in March as a new weapon.
It was previously reported that Monken and other Ravens players think Henry, at thirty, can go back in time to his prime playing days. Breer made it apparent that, starting with the Week 1 game at the Chiefs on September 5, viewers could anticipate seeing Jackson pass the ball to Henry frequently.
“Derick Henry’s presence is undeniable, and it’s difficult not to imagine what Baltimore’s offense will look like when option looks featuring Jackson and the 6’3″, 247-pound wrecking ball are thrown at defenses,” Breer continued. “John Harbaugh, the head coach, has found Henry to be a good cultural match because of his work ethic and desire. Justice Hill can spell him for the Ravens, but this just sets up Henry to be a bell cow in Monken’s attack.”
The Ravens were the second-most-favored team to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIX as of Thursday morning, only the Chiefs (+300) at +550 odds, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. In the event that Jackson lives up to the hype from his second season under Monken, the Ravens may return to a level of play that hasn’t been seen since February 2013.
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